Established from the outset in the Luxembourg ecosystem, BIONEXT LAB has, within just a few years, become a key player in the medical diagnostics sector. We met with its Director, Dr. Jean-Luc Dourson, for an overview of industry transformations, digital ambitions, and the role played by the House of BioHealth in their development.

What is BIONEXT LAB’s mission today, and how has it evolved since your arrival?

As a Luxembourg-based medical analysis laboratory, our role is to carry out biological tests (blood, urine, tissue, various samples) to support medical diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and disease prevention. A full-fledged medical specialist, much like a radiologist, the laboratory provides clinicians with high-value information to ensure quality patient care.
Since Bionext’s founding in 2017, we have developed several digital tools to streamline the patient care journey and improve the quality of follow-up. We also offer a preventive medicine app, BNEXTCARE, which combines lab results with patient lifestyle data (physical activity, sleep quality, eating habits, etc.) to determine risk scores and provide tailored recommendations and coaching.

How would you define the role of a medical biology lab in Luxembourg’s healthcare system?

The medical analysis laboratory is an essential link in the healthcare pathway. It contributes not only to treatment but also to prevention—especially for chronic illnesses, which account for the majority of healthcare costs.
The boundary between outpatient and inpatient care is fading. Patients must be supported within an integrated pathway, where the lab delivers certified, validated information that helps ensure efficient, personalized care.
In Luxembourg, we also must account for the cross-border dimension, due to the high number of cross-border workers who may also become patients.

The diagnostic sector is evolving rapidly. What are the main trends, in your view?

The medical lab industry is undergoing a fast-paced transformation, driven by technological breakthroughs and major organizational shifts. Automation enables standardization, helps manage increasing test volumes, and reduces the amount of blood drawn from patients.
Genetic and molecular testing are expanding, supporting personalized medicine by allowing for earlier disease detection and treatment tailored to individual characteristics.

What types of technological innovations does BIONEXT LAB integrate into its processes?

Beyond our digital solutions to improve patient care, our innovations focus on robotization and cutting-edge diagnostic testing that avoid traditional invasive methods.
Examples include:

  • ENDOTEST, which allows diagnosis of endometriosis through a simple saliva sample via RNA sequencing.

  • VISIOCYT, which enables bladder cancer diagnosis from a urine sample, using AI-powered cell imaging.
    AI will not be the only force transforming our profession. We’re also excited about emerging technologies like blood-drawing robots, which already exist. Within five years, these machines will outperform current methods, using medical imaging technologies to better visualize veins.

Does artificial intelligence and big data play a role in your activities?

Absolutely. The tests mentioned already rely on AI for analysis—and this is just the beginning. The next revolution lies in liquid biopsy, which aims to detect circulating tumor DNA in the bloodstream before symptoms appear.
The use of big data helps identify epidemiological trends and links between genetics and phenotypes, enabling more proactive clinical decision-making.

You place great importance on quality and reliability. How is that ensured?

From the very start in 2017, Bionext voluntarily pursued accreditation under the ISO 15189 standard. Today, we are fully accredited under its 2022 version—evidence of our strong internal quality culture and our commitment to providing reliable, top-standard lab results for both patients and physicians.

How do you ensure accessible and smooth care across the country?

We rely on a dual approach: physical proximity and complete digitalization of the care process.

  • Physically, patients benefit from a dense network of walk-in collection centers, mobile units (Labomobile), and an at-home collection service (Pickendoheem)—free of charge and at the patient’s convenience. We’ve also partnered with pharmacies to increase our local presence and support interdisciplinary collaboration.

  • Digitally, our in-house IT team (seven developers) has built the MYLAB platform: a digital health ecosystem designed to enhance the user experience for all healthcare stakeholders—patients, physicians, nurses, and hospitals alike. To scale this innovation, we established the Health-IT company in 2019.

Is proximity to healthcare professionals a lever for better care?

Definitely. Multidisciplinary coordination between healthcare professionals is essential to improving patient care.
Real estate developers can also play a key role by moving beyond traditional leasing models and promoting integrated medical hubs—environments where GPs, specialists, labs, and pharmacies coexist, with shared services and coordinated patient flows.
We’re heading toward a network of interconnected care points, where:

  • the home becomes a key location for prevention and follow-up,

  • primary care centers offer rapid diagnostics close to where patients live,

  • mobile units enhance proximity,

  • and digital platforms keep virtual care within reach.
    In this model, location is no longer fixed, but becomes an integrated system of physical and digital interactions between healthcare professionals—always focused on the patient.

What role does the House of BioHealth play in your development?

The House of BioHealth is far more than just a building. It’s a true innovation ecosystem dedicated to healthcare.
By supporting HealthTech startups, it fosters the emergence of innovative ventures in a collaborative environment where public research meets private enterprise.
Bionext has a partner located there: LLuCS (Luxembourg Laboratory of Sanitary Control), which handles food hygiene, water quality, and air analysis.
The recent launch of HIVE, a networking platform for digital health, further strengthens the ecosystem by fostering collaboration and accelerating healthtech innovation.

What does this shared environment bring to your company?

Collaborating with other companies fuels innovation, encourages reflection on technology integration, and speeds up project development. This collaborative dynamic is both enriching and essential.

Do you see opportunities for stronger collaboration in the future?

Yes. For example, we are exploring a collaboration with the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) as part of our preventive medicine app. Several of their research programs align with our goals.

What are the main challenges you foresee?

The biggest challenge is to act quickly and invest efficiently. Yet the economic pressure imposed on the healthcare and medical lab sectors by governments remains our greatest concern. It directly affects our ability to invest and innovate, and it hinders our visibility in the short, medium, and long term.

How do you assess Luxembourg’s attractiveness for healthcare and diagnostic players?

Luxembourg offers a unique range of opportunities:

  • Its central location in Europe facilitates cross-border care with France, Belgium, and Germany.

  • The government strongly supports innovation, especially in biotech and digital health.

  • Institutions like the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and the Integrated BioBank (IBBL) are key partners in advancing R&D initiatives.

Do you have any major project or ambition for the coming years?

In addition to expanding our test offerings and digital services, we are planning to relocate our technical platform to a dedicated building within the next three years.
This new facility would be located near the future CHEM hospital, as part of the HE:AL Campus project, which is currently under review.

If you had to summarize BIONEXT LAB’s DNA in three words?

Proximity – Innovation – Efficiency